Thera 1.24: Sugandha
Tipitaka >> Sutta Pitaka >> Khuddaka Nikaya >> Theragatha >> Thera(24):Sugandha Adapted from the Archaic Translation by Mrs. C.A.F. Rhys Davids. Commentary (Atthakatha) By Acariya Dhammapala Note: 'C' in Pali text is pronounced as 'ch' as in 'China'. ---- Chapter I. Single Verses =24. Sugandha= He was reborn in this Buddha-age of wealthy parents at Sāvatthī. And because of his aspiration in the past, when he presented Kassapa Buddha with a Fragrant Chamber of sandal-wood, that he might in one life be reborn with a fragrant body, he, on the day of his birth-and his mother before that day-filled the house with fragrance. Then said his parents: 'Our son is come bringing his own name!' and they called him Sugandha (Aroma). When grown up, he was induced to leave the world(for monkhood) by the preaching of the Thera Mahā-Sela.1 And within seven 29 days he attained arahantship(enlightenment). Confessing aññā(supreme attainment) he uttered this verse: ---- 24 Anuvassiko pabbajito passa dhammasudhammataɱ|| Tisso vijjā anuppattā kataɱ buddhassa sāsanan' ti.|| || ---- 24 Scarce have the rains gone by since I went forth(into monkhood), Yet see the seemly order of the Path(Dhamma)! The Threefold Wisdom2 I have I gotten now And done all that the Buddha asks us do.3 ---- 1 This Thera ('Great-rock') is probably the brahmin(priest) teacher of the Sela-Sutta in the Sutta-Nipāta, who was converted by the Buddha, became an arahant(enlightened), and would naturally continue to exercise his oratorical gifts. Cf. Milinda, i. 253; Sum. V., i. 276. 2 Tevijjo, lit., 'thrice wise.' This brahminist phrase, referring to one who had learnt the three Vedas, was adopted by the Buddha, and transferred to one who had the three kinds of paññā, vijjā, or ābhiññā (intuition, insight), entitled reminiscence of former lives, the heavenly eye, and the destruction of the asava's, or intoxicant(defilements/desires)s - sensuality, lust of life, opinions, ignorance (Ang. Nik., i. 163-165). Cf. p. 14, n. 3. Gen. 8.22: "While the earth remains, seedtime and harvest, and cold and heat, and summer and winter, and day and night shall not cease." - K.J.V. 3 The phrase anuvassika-pabbajito is, according to the Commentary, capable of more than one interpretation. If it means 'renounced the world a year ago' (vide Neumann), it is curious that Dhammapāla does not paraphrase by the term saŋvacchara. Is it not perhaps permissible, in view of the strong emphasis on the order (lit., 'Normity') of the Path(Dhamma), to see a parallel between two strands of the fivefold order (niyama) of the universe: - the seasons and the Path(Dhamma) (utu-niyama, dhamma-niyama)? (Cf. Dialogues of the Buddha, ii 8, n. 3, and my Buddhism, 118 f.) The fruition-namely, of his moral and spiritual evolution - was as certain and inevitable as that 'seedtime and harvest, ... summer and winter shall not cease' (Gen. viii. 22). The phrase, however, recurs frequently with no such point. ---- 1.3.424 Commentary on the stanza of =Sugandha Thera= The stanza starting with Anuvassiko pabbajito constitutes that of the venerable Thera Sugandha. What is the origin? It is said that ninetytwo aeons (kappa) ago from now, at the time of the self-awakened Buddha named Tissa, he was reborn in the womb of a human mother and on having attained the age of intelligence he roamed about in the forest by killing deer. The Master, out of compassion for him, went after having made His foot-print visible. On having seen he feet-shrines (padacetiya) he became full of zest and delight due to his devoted service toward former Buddhas saying to himself thus:– “The fooot-prints (padāni) are those of top-most personage in this world along with divine world,” collected flowers of koraṇ̄daka shrub, made reverential offering and made his mind pleased. On account of that act of merit, he was reborn in the divine world and having passed away thence, he performed meritorious deeds now and then, wandered about his rounds of repeated rebirths among divine and human beings, became an estate-owner (kuṭumbika) at the time of the Blessed One Kassapa, brought about a great charity given to the Master as well as the congregation of bhikkhus(monks), pounded the cool sandal-wood (gositacandana) of great value made the fragrant chamber (gandhakuṭi) all-round plastering with it and established his aspiration thus:– “May my body be sweet-smelling in this manner wherever I am reborn.” Having performed other abundant meritorious deeds in this and that existences as he wandered round his repeated rebirths (parivattamāno) and was reborn in the house of a brahmin endowed with wealth in Sāvatthi when this Buddha arose. Beginning from the time he had gone into the womb of his mother when he sprang up as well, the mother’s body and the whole house also blew about sweet-scented breeze. On the day he was born, however, there but blew extraordinarily the breeze of most excellently sweet scent all over the envorons of the house even. His parents gave him the self-same name Sugandha saying to themselves thus: “Our son has come having brought his own name but by himself.” On having come of age gradually, he came across the Thera Mahāsela, listened to the dhamma in his presence, became a monk, and doing the deed of developing clear insight (vipassanā) attained Arahantship within a particular period of seven days. Hence it has been said in the Apadāna:– I was the son of a forest worker formerly; with the death of my father and mother, I made my living by killing creatures (pasu); I had no good deeds (done by me). Neighbouring my haunt (āsaya), the world- leader Tissa, the possessor of sight (cakkhu), out of compassion for me, showed (me) three- foot-prints (pada). On having seen the foot-print (akkanta) of the Master named Tissa I became joyful with joyous mind; I made my mind pleased with the foot-print (pada). On having seen the shrub Koraṇ̄da blossoming, the shrub growing on the ground, I collected the flowers in my own container (sakosakaṃ) and made my reverential offering to the most excellent foot-print (pada). On account of that act well done with my mental volition and determination I reached Tāvatiṃsa after having given up my human body. Whichever abode I approached to be reborn whether heavenly or human my skin was kareṇ̄da coloured, I became excellently rediant. It was ninetytwo aeons (kappa) ago from now, that I then did my deed; I do not remember any evil existence. This is the fruitful result of doing honour to the foot-print (padapūjā). My depravity had been burnt. … Buddha’s instruction had been carried out. Having, however, attained Arahantship, he uttered this stanza, starting with “Anuvassiko pabbajito” in order to make manifest his Arahantship (aññā). 24. There, anuvassiko means having gone after; having gone near the rain retreat (vassaṃ) is according to rain-retreat (anuvasso); the self-same according to rain-retreat is anuvassika. Pabbajito means has gone towards monkhood; having become a monk, he desires to approach rain-retreat; he is one who has done one rain-retreat (ekavassiko); thus, is the meaning. In other words, he has equally gone (anugata), gone afterwards (pacchāgata) and gone out (apagata) the rain-period for one year (anuvassaṃ); he has that one year; thus, he is one year; thus, he is one year old (anuvassika). That monk whose rain-period (vassaṃ) has not gone towards numbering because of not being all-round full; he was told in this manner; not having spent the lent. Passa dhamma sudhammataṃ means; the state of being good dhamma of the teaching of your Master, the state of its being well-taught, and the sate of being definite about being led out (niyyānika) to nibbāna; where you have become a monk and spent the lent for one year (anuvassiko). Knowledge of former abodes, knowledge of celestial eye, knowledge of destruction of cankers; thus tissovijjā, the threefold knowledge, anupattā (had accordingly been attained by you), visualised by you. Consequently even, Kataṃ Buddhassa sāsanaṃ means the instruction of the self-awakened Buddha had accordingly been carried out and the advice had been followed and practised; thus, the Thera spoke about himself making it as if he was speaking about another individual because he had become full of zest and delight depending upon his having done his duty. The Commentary on the stanza of the Thera Sugandha is complete. ----